By Jones Anlimah.
Poor maintenance culture in Ghana especially on public house facilities has resulted in many of such projects being left in a deplorable state. Such a situation continues to thwart the government’s efforts to improve infrastructure across all sectors of the economy for development.
A teachers’ bungalow at Dorfor-Afaode in the North Tongu district of the Volta region has been left to rot away while teachers posted to the community struggle for accommodation.
To this end, an SOS is being sent to help renovate or rebuild a new bungalow to attract teachers to the community to improve teaching and learning.
The teachers’ bungalow was constructed by the government in 1999 to help attract teachers to the community. GBC News gathered that since its construction, the facility has not seen any form of renovation or whatsoever by the District Assembly to help maintain and put the facility into shape. The facility is therefore in total ruins.
It has now become a safe haven for reptiles, rodents, and other dangerous animals.
Equally disturbing is the bad nature of portions of the Dorfor-Afaode DA Primary School block. Deep cracks are now visible as soon as one enters some of the classrooms.
The Stool Father for the Community, Mr. Felix Kwame Forfoe in an interview with GBC News said the facility since its construction has not seen any form of maintenance. He added that Officers of the North Tongu District Assembly have over the years turned a blind eye on the facility even though they were approached to help save what was left of the bungalow some time past.
According to the Assemblyman for the area, George Buenortey, the situation is not promoting effective teaching and learning, as teachers now have to commute over long distances from other towns to teach.
Governments over the years have made efforts through public and private interventions to improve the country’s infrastructure, especially in the housing sector. However, the poor maintenance culture often leads to a situation where such projects deplete rather than seeing an improvement in quantity because little or no effort is made to keep them in good shape and extend their period of use. For Ghana to make headway in its sustainable housing policy, attention should also be given to an effective maintenance culture.
